Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix Review

By Kristan Reed Published 1 September, 2007

Stupid name, fantastic game.

Version tested: Xbox 360

Unlike Namco, Konami, Atari, Midway, and, more recently, SEGA, Capcom has seemingly resisted the cynical urge to lovelessly cash-in on its retro glories from decades past. With Street Fighter 2 the sole representative on Xbox Live Arcade, it seemed only a matter of time before the Japanese giant got around to digitally distributing more of its revered back catalogue.

And so it has proven, with this week seeing the long-awaited release of a jazzed-up version of Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, or just Puzzle Fighter as we'll refer to it from here on. Originally released in arcades way back in 1996, this isn't just some unaltered shovelware, chucked out with zero care and attention. Effectively, it's the ultimate version of a true puzzle classic, combining everything from the arcade version and the Dreamcast edition and a few modern refinements to make it the definite article. For 800 points (£6.80) you can't really go wrong.

Sparkling

As Dan Whitehead noted in his recent PSP review of Capcom Puzzle World, "It is, quite simply, one of the greatest games ever made and a permanent fixture in my all-time top 10". So, er, he's going to be somewhat pleased at its arrival. He also rightly points out that, at first glance, it looks a bit like "a cheesy Tetris clone wearing Street Fighter clothes". It really does. In the classic Arcade mode, a pair of randomly coloured gems descend down a 12 block by 6 block rectangular play area, and it's your job to rotate them, guide them left or right and set them down wherever you see fit - usually with the aim of matching like with like and shattering them before your screen fills to the top. Simple? Well, not quite that simple.

'Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix' Screenshot 1

At last! A one-button Street Fighter 2 game! [Oi! What about the Amiga version?]

The basic idea isn't so much to clear gems willy-nilly. Sure, stopping the screen filling up with gems is the primary concern, but, because the game is designed as a two player experience, it's all about thinking quickly and being decisive about when the time is right to shatter your gems. You might, for example, want to pair your gems up with others of the same colour in order to build bigger Power gems. The reason for this is that the more gems you smash at once, the more Counter gems are unleashed onto your opponent's play area, allowing you disrupt their own building plans and ensure that their screen fills up. The winner is ultimately the player who causes their opponent's play area to fill up to the top, so speed and planning is crucial.

To elaborate a little, Counter gems don't become solid, normal, smashable gems for five turns, and the only way to eliminate them before this is to place a like-coloured Crash gem next to them. In short, they're a pain in the butt, and so the more you can fire across to your opponent, the better. On the other hand, if you spend too long trying to build a gigantic Power gem, the more risk there is of being caught out yourself, so there's a fine risk-reward balance that makes the game hugely addictive, fun and exasperating in equal measures.

A fighting puzzle game? Surely not.

Like Dan the man (I bet he's sick to death of a lifetime of being called that) points out, the real key to success is taking the time to learn the Counter Gem patterns, which you select before the round commences. If you do manage to lay down the same pattern, you can effectively turn your opponent's attacks against them - especially powerful if you use the five-turn countdown to unleash enormous blocks onto their side. Equally worth mentioning, though, is the arrival of a diamond every 25 turns. This is particularly useful to know, because it enables you to destroy any block it lands on, and is quite capable of setting off a face-saving chain reaction if you find yourself up against it.

'Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix' Screenshot 2

It must be really tough having such a big head.

So, in addition to this already brilliant mode, this HD remix beefs up the replay value no end by throwing in modes previously added to the Dreamcast version: X mode, Y mode and Z mode. The latter two are particularly interesting to seasoned veterans, because they change some of the core rules of the game, effectively turning it into an entirely different thing. While X mode is merely a 'rebalanced' version of the classic mode (with different drop patterns and tweaked damage to 'level the playing field') Y mode, for instance, revolves around the principle that three-or-more-of-a-kind shatter, whether they're aligned in a row, a column or even a diagonal, while Z mode riffs on Tetris Attack by giving players control of a 2 by 2 cursor and tasking you with rotating pieces already on the play area. Whichever you go for, they're all ace in their own right. All in the same cheap package, it's irresistible if you're any kind of puzzle junkie.

On top of all this timeless goodness, the icing on the cake is the remodelled, sharpened-up graphics (with character art from Udon Comics), new special effects, online play in every mode, some evil achievements to go for, and, of course, online leaderboards. The real mark of greatness for a game like this, though, is just how much fun it is offline against the CPU. It's not even as if you need a pal for it to be fun. It's just a cracking little game that will be just as addictive in ten year's time as it was when it first came out. Puzzle Fighter is yet another reason to rejoice the growth in downloadable games, and regardless of whether you play it on the 360, the PS3, or on the recently issued PSP compilation Capcom Puzzle World, it's one of those games you really ought to have in your collection.

9 / 10

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Picture of Kristan.

About Kristan Reed

Kristan is a former editor of Eurogamer, dad, Stone Roses bore and Norwich City supporter who sometimes mutters optimistically about Team Silent getting back together.

Read more articles from Kristan by visiting the Kristan Reed archive page.

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Comments (34) Latest comment 5 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Dr.Mott #1 5 years ago

    So, better than Heavenly Sword, then? ;)

    Sorry.

  • Tejstar #2 5 years ago

    Yep, one of the best XBLA titles to date. Easy for novices to pick up and hard to master. Nice work Capcom!

  • DanWhitehead #3 5 years ago

    I am somewhat pleased by this release.

  • ParanoidZombie #4 5 years ago

    Please download this quick, guys, because the online lobbies are kinda empty right now... There are only seasoned players out there and I get owned every time I join/host a game.

  • krudster #5 5 years ago

    See - somewhat pleased.

  • Skeletor #6 5 years ago

    "...regardless of whether you play it on the 360, the PS3, or on the recently issued PSP compilation Capcom Puzzle World."

    Erm, playing it on Mame...is that OK too? ;-)
    Honestly, It's a beautiful little gem of a game. Hope the announced PC version won't take them too long. And yeah...please Capcom, NOT Steam!

  • menage #7 5 years ago

    Great game, bought and had a 3.5 hour marathon VS girlfirned night. She loves it.

    I think this is the first game we can really play together. All Puzzlegames should have vs modes. I got owned big time though:p
    Edited by 1 at 01/09/07 @ 10:44

  • mallocks #8 5 years ago

    Speak for yourself Skeletor, I'd like it on Steam :)

    We agree on the need for alacrity on Capcom's part at least.

  • 5lectro #9 5 years ago

    No mention of the quality of Udon's art?

    The character portraits look good, the bigger ones (Ryu & Ken in the pic, on both sides of "Player select";) look hideous, & the actual in game ones are apparently just upscaled.

    I had high hopes for SSFIITRemix when they announced it, but each artwork they leak is worst than the last.

  • PinkSpider #10 5 years ago

    If the PC version is good, multiplayer and on steam I may have to take the plunge.

  • SBfistfun #11 5 years ago

    SB likes to take the plunge.

    ddDDDDDDDDAAAAAMMMmmnnnnn

  • Psychotext #12 5 years ago

    Excellent EG... please keep up the PSN, XBLA and VC reviews!

  • Der_tolle_Emil #13 5 years ago

    Looks like a fun game. I don't have any XBLA game that I currently play anyway so I might just buy it. If only for the music, which is great.

  • DanMW #14 5 years ago

    I would've prefered if they'd removed the animations altogether, they look sh!t and I don't look at them anyway, no sale, I ain't paying for an incomplete job.

  • Skeletor #15 5 years ago

    @DanMW
    This is not an imcomplete job, it's what the name says...a remix of the original game. Both games, Puzzle Fighter HD remix and SF2T-HD, are low budget projects and NOT big scale remakes! They've redrawn what could be redrawn and adjusted the rest as good as they could.

  • huxathon #16 5 years ago

    actually the best block drop game out there and has been for some time.

  • Ryze #17 5 years ago

    Does anyone know if the PSP version of this has been fixed?

    If I remember correctly, it had some sort of firmware related bug, no?

  • Ryze #18 5 years ago

    The link - ^ up there - to the PSP review doesn't work.

    I checked and 'Official Capcom Guy' says that it was fixed in firmware 3.52

    Lucky I'm on 2.82 deciding whether to OE.

    This is bought - as soon as the 360 h/w is fixed.

  • Der_tolle_Emil #19 5 years ago

    Bought it after trying the demo again, it's really addictive. The only problem is though that it's almost impossible to get a multiplayer game running, there are about 3 open lobbies and that's it.

  • paul_haine #20 5 years ago

    I had this on the GBA. It was alright. Didn't seem particularly outstanding though.

  • pikemon #21 5 years ago

    PHEW! No significant improvements to the Dreamcast/GBA versions which both I have (not planning to get 360 for a while). ^^''

    Thanks for explaining what the X, Y & Z modes stand for. The 'classic' mode is not very balanced!

    I'm going to fire up my DS to play some Puzzle Fighter II right now...

  • pikemon #22 5 years ago

    urgh, Chun Li's counter gem pattern is so crap that you just feel like you're helping your opponent to win with your attacks

  • Wobble #23 5 years ago

    spent all weekend plying this with the gf. "It's just like tidying up, finally a game i can kick your ass at" :p

  • Lutz #24 5 years ago

    This is great for 15 mins here and there. Superb puzzle game.

  • ukslim #25 5 years ago

    Chun Li has something like a 120% attack though - that's how they've chosen to balance her. Her drop pattern is so generous though, it means you've got to hit hard first time.

  • dextress #26 5 years ago

    This is BRILLIANT! It's just a real shame they didn't re-draw the characters.

  • mattigan #27 5 years ago

    Try playing with Dan then, his drop pattern is red, just red gems, nothing else!!

    How are you suppoesed to win with that!!

  • Lutz #28 5 years ago

    It's quite easy to win with Dan...
    Build up a large 2xX in the left hand corner. When the opponant has no red orbs around, hit them with the gem, and follow up with as many small combos as you can. This drops a ton of red gems onto them, and then locks them in with "higher numbers".

    The 25 motherlode though... that's causing me problems. Came close (23) but the Ai died. :(

  • ukslim #29 5 years ago

    Dan's a joke character. It's meant to be hard to win with him. Hence the achievement. Hence the ability to be really cocky if you beat your mates with him.

    Mother Lode - not that tricky -- do it in normal or easy mode, and don't play too fast -- let the AI catch up with you and clear up the gems you drop on them.

    The 7-chain is the achievement I don't expect to achieve.

  • ukslim #30 5 years ago

    PS where's the Space Giraffe review, Eurogamer?

  • Linkinruss #31 5 years ago

    The 25 motherlode achievement i got this morning on the debug kits at work. Tried for about 2 hours lastnight at home! How annoying!

  • Lutz #32 5 years ago

    yeah, I was aiming for it on easy. AI still feckin' dies.
    I'm thinking that a 5x5 one might not be the best idea, and that 9x3 or 7x4 might be a better idea.

  • suicida #33 5 years ago

    I have the Mother Lode achievemet - it doesn't have to be one big gem, a few smaller ones will do it as long as they are all the same colour and all destroyed at the same time :)
    Edited by 1 at 03/09/07 @ 18:21

  • quantumsheep #34 5 years ago

    I am officially rubbish at this game!

    Still enjoying it though :)